Life was impossible.
Ji Jue sprawled on the ground, dizzy and seeing stars, his ears ringing.
He seemed to hear mocking voices from nearby, but they sounded as though they came through water, too muffled to make out. When he looked up, he saw three Ye Xians shaking their heads at him regretfully.
Oh, double vision.
A concussion. Fine, nothing serious.
He gave the other side of his head another punch, balancing out the lingering turbulence inside his skull. Instantly, he felt much clearer.
He climbed back to his feet once again.
For the who-knew-how-manyth time.
"How long?"
"Three minutes. You've regressed far too much."
Ye Xian shook her head. "If this is all you can do, then you still have a long way to go before you graduate."
Regressed?
Ji Jue was practically about to laugh.
This was a completely different level of difficulty, all right?
If Professor Ye had initially been boiling the frog, giving Ji Jue some time to adapt, then now she was starting off by cranking up the heat and pressure.
High-Pressure Cooker Stewed Try-hard—fast and efficient, giving the reckless student a little tender care and concern from his teacher.
Even without using any Blessing creations, relying purely on her fundamentals in Material Property Interference to lower herself to Ji Jue's level, Ye Xian could still effortlessly use the Embers Lineage's unique advantage in experience to suppress him. Against Non-Aggression's barehanded training and the enhancement of Miraculous Hands, she was still giving Ji Jue a thoroughly fulfilling ranked-match experience.
"Done resting?"
Ye Xian lazily crooked a finger at him. "Don't waste my time. Where's that third hand of yours? You've already used that move once, so why are you still hiding it?"
She glanced at the bruise around Ji Jue's right eye, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.